China Netcom and the International Engineering Consortium (IEC) recently announced that the Broadband World Forum Asia 2007 will be held between June 5 and 8 in Beijing. This is the first time that this forum has been held in Chinese Mainland.

The Broadband World Forum, sponsored by IEC, aims to promote global cooperation and development in the broadband industry. The first conference was held in London in 2001. Eleven sessions have been held to date.

The reason the organizing committee has decided to hold the next session in China is that they want to "showcase China's broadband business opportunities to the world," said the Vice chairman of the IEC.

"In the past few years, investment from Chinese fixed and mobile communications operators in the network infrastructure has exceeded that of all Western European operators. China has the world's largest fixed and mobile communications networks. Currently, 1.25 million people join the mobile phone network each week. Since China entered the WTO, it has endeavoured to further opening its market."

The theme of the Forum is "Digital Broadband Olympics." Exhibition zones will be set up to display new technologies that will be applied during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. During the forum, delegates will discuss topics include broadband content, broadband entertainment, IPTV, wireless broadband, broadband network technology, digital family, mobile television and more.

By People's Daily Online